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Using a
CPAP Machine for Treating Sleep Apnea

If
you have been diagnosed with moderate to
severe apnea, the most effective treatment option for you is to use a
CPAP
machine every night while you sleep. CPAP stands for continuous
positive airway pressure, and a CPAP machine is basically
the only
truly effective treatment for those with sleep apnea, especially more
severe forms of the sleeping disorder.

A CPAP machine - not to be confused with a bipap
machine
which is used for certain types of sleeping disorders like Cheyne
Stokes respiration - is a small unit that sits next to your
bed and
delivers
a constant stream of air pressure to the lungs, via a sleep
apnea mask which is
placed over the nose, or both the mouth and nose, depending on the
cause of your airway obstruction.

This
constant flow of air is designed
to force air past the airway obstruction into the lungs, allowing sleep
apnea sufferers to continue breathing throughout the night and ensure
that the oxygen concentration level in their blood does not
drop.

The
mask must fit tightly over your nose and possibly mouth, without any
gaps in order to ensure that the air pressure is allowed
to force its
way past the obstructions and into the lungs.

If
your doctor determines that the use of a CPAP machine is the only
way to treat your sleep apnea, then it will be necessary to use the
machine every night for the rest of your life.

However,
this is much
preferred to the alternative of your health slowly deteriorating due to
a lack of sleep caused by sleep apnea and also lowered blood oxygen
concentration levels.

Sleep
apnea CPAP works for all individuals with sleep apnea, regardless
of the position that they sleep in. However, if you sleep on your
stomach, you will need to change your sleeping habits, as the mask can
be somewhat bulky and requires that you sleep either on your side or
your back in order for it to remain in place throughout
the night.

Common
Sleep Apnea CPAP Complaints

The
most common complaint heard about sleep apnea CPAP is that the
entire unit can be quite
uncomfortable to use, and it takes many people
quite a long time to ever get used to using the machine. When you first
start using CPAP, you may find that it makes it very hard for you to
fall asleep, but you should eventually become more accustomed to using
the machine and eventually you will be able to fall asleep fairly
easily.

One
way to avoid the discomfort associated with CPAP is to make sure
that you choose high quality CPAP accessories, including a comfortable,
well-fitting CPAP mask and a CPAP
pillow designed for how you sleep
(i.e. side sleeper or back sleeper).

You
will also want to make sure
that you purchase comfortable headgear that will keep the mask in place
throughout the night.

Also,
if you feel the mask causes sore spots
around your nose, you may also want to consider using a CPAP nasal
cushion to help relieve any discomfort.

Another
common complaint about sleep apnea CPAP is the noise that the
machine continuously makes.

However,
there
is really nothing that can be done to alleviate this complaint,
although more modern sleep apnea machines have been designed which are
much quieter
than they were in the past.

Necessary
Equipment for Using a Sleep Apnea CPAP Unit

In addition to the CPAP
machine, you will also need to purchase a CPAP mask, headgear, and tubing to connect
the mask to the machine. It is also recommended that you purchase a
specially designed CPAP pillow which is designed to keep your head
properly elevated while also allowing room for the CPAP mask and tubing.

Where
to Buy a CPAP Machine and Equipment

Generally
speaking, when your doctors diagnoses you as having sleep
apnea and recommends the use of CPAP to treat your sleeping disorder,
they will then connect you with a home
health company which can help
supply you with the machine and all necessary equipment.

The
home
health company will most likely deliver the machine and its components
to your home and instruct you on how to properly use the machine, as
well as how to properly fit the mask and connect all of the
components. Another option is to try and find a properly maintained and
cared for used
cpap machine.

Still,
if you are unsatisfied with the machine or any of the
components, then you can find replacement parts and different masks on
most online shopping
sites such as Amazon. Also, the home health
company will most likely not provide you with a CPAP pillow, so it will
be necessary to purchase this on your own if you find that it is
necessary.

You
could also decide that you want to purchase everything yourself, in
which case you have a ton of options for the components. However, your
options for the actual machine itself will be much more limited. Still,
there are a few good ones available online.

The
best CPAP machine that we have found online is the Sleepstyle 200
family of machines. With this machine, you have two different options-
the HC231
model, which is a basic machine, and the HC233 model which is
a fully integrated CPAP unit featuring heated or cooled
humidification through means of a cpap
humidifier.

With
the standard model, you also have the option to convert it to an
integrated unit with a conversion kit. The Sleepstyle 200 machines cost
around $500, which is a fairly good price for this type of machine, as
some can cost more than double that. Overall, it is quite a good CPAP
unit and comes highly
recommended by doctors.

Other
Treatment Alternatives to CPAP

Basically,
if you have been diagnosed with severe
sleep apnea, there
are almost no other treatment options available and you will need to
use CPAP every night for the rest of your life in order to overcome
your sleeping disorder. However, for those with mild to moderate sleep
apnea, you may try one of the other over the counter cpap
alternatives such as anti
snoring mouth guards or snoring
chin straps, or you could also undergo
several different surgical
procedures for sleep apnea.